Supreme Court Upholds Election of Ododo as Kogi Gov

On Friday, the Supreme Court of Nigeria affirmed the election of Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Governor of Kogi State.

This ruling comes after the dismissal of an appeal filed by Murtala Ajaka, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who challenged the outcome of the November 11, 2023, governorship election.

In a unanimous decision, the five-man panel of justices upheld the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed Ododo’s victory on May 27, 2024.

The Supreme Court ruled that Ajaka’s allegations of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act were not proven.

The court also addressed claims regarding age falsification and certificate forgery, clarifying that these are pre-election matters that should have been brought before the Federal High Court, which has jurisdiction over such issues.

Consequently, the Supreme Court dismissed Ajaka’s appeal, declaring it to be without merit.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously announced that Usman Ododo secured a total of 446,237 votes in the election, while Murtala Ajaka came in second with 259,052 votes.

This ruling solidifies Ododo’s position as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State.